How Liverpool could line up against Manchester City

Liverpool welcome Manchester City to Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday for what is without doubt their biggest game of the season so far.

A win for the Reds, who have not lost a league game at Anfield since April 2017, would take them nine points ahead of the current champions in the table.

Pep Guardiola's side head into the game knowing that victory in Merseyside - something that City have not achieved in the league since 2003 - would represent a massive psychological boost in the title race.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Jurgen Klopp's side could line up for this fixture.

Out: Nathaniel Clyne (knee), Xherdan Shaqiri (calf), Joel Matip (knee) Doubtful: Jordan Henderson (illness)

> Click here to view Liverpool's full list of injuries and suspensions ahead of the game.

After receiving a rest during Liverpool's win over Genk on Tuesday, Andrew Robertson will certainly come back into the starting XI to play a key shaping role in Liverpool's attacks.

Over on the other side, of course, will be Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose partnership with Robertson has become arguably the most successful fullback duopoly in football at this moment in time, with the pair's collective aggression and capacity to cover ground playing an informative role in how attacks unfold for Klopp's team.

The Liverpool boss must make a decision between Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez over who partners with Virgil van Dijk. Both have different traits: the former has experience and muscle while the other brings mobility and composure.

In a game that will be played largely on the ground - and at remarkable speed - it seems likely that Gomez will get the nod over the Croat.

Klopp will know that the key to winning this game, as he has shown before, is through dominating the midfield, by denying City any platform from which to dictate the pace of the game.

This is why Fabinho at the base of midfield will be considered imperative given the Brazilian's excellent form this season and, more specifically, his impressive capacity to recover possession quickly.

Further forward, captain Henderson will almost certainly come back from an illness to figure as the heart of Liverpool's engine room alongside Georginio Wijnaldum. Although Klopp may be tempted to use Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the aforementioned trio makes up Liverpool's strongest possible midfield.

To state the obvious, the front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah picks itself. Should they truly hit their straps on Sunday, City, as they have done before, may well struggle to cope with the sheer pace of their movement and end up leaking goals.